Shoes specifically designed for working in the garden need to be waterproof. This often is accomplished by molding them as an integral unit from rubber or a soft plastic material which is impervious to water. However, shoes of this type do not breathe like leather or fabric shoes do so the user's feet get hot when the shoes are worn in warm weather. As a result, it has become common to provide ventilation openings in the shoes to allow ambient air to enter them and cool the wearer's feet. While placing ventilation openings in garden shoes prevents the wearer's feet from becoming too warm, it also essentially prevents the shoes from being waterproof regardless of the material they are made from. While many attempts have been made to prevent water from entering ventilation openings in shoes, they have been unsuccessful in doing so.